Electrode for nonaqueous electrolyte battery

ABSTRACT

An electrolyte for a nonaqueous electrolyte battery having improved charge and discharge characteristics such as discharge capacity and charge/discharge cycle life and the like. The electrode comprises an electrode active material layer including at least a positive electrode active material, a conductive agent and a binder. The crushed, expanded graphite is used as the conductive agent. The crushed expanded graphite preferably has a median particle diameter of 0.1 to 40 μm. The quantity of the conductive agent in the electrode active material layer is preferably 0.1 to 15% by weight.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates to an electrode for a nonaqueouselectrolyte battery having an electrode active material layer includinga positive electrode active material, a conductive agent and a binder.More particularly, it relates to an electrode for a nonaqueouselectrolyte battery having improved change/discharge characteristicssuch as discharge capacity and charge/discharge cycle life and the like.

BACKGROUND ART

Recent development in the electronic field is marvelous and sizereduction and weight reduction of video cameras, liquid crystal cameras,portable phones, lap top computers, word processors, and others aretaking place. As a power source for these devices, there is anincreasing demand for the development of batteries with reduced size andweight and having a high energy density.

Conventionally, lead batteries and nickel cadmium batteries have beenused for these electronic devices. However, these have been failing tosufficiently meet the demand for size reduction, weight reduction, andhigher energy density.

As a battery that meets these demands, development of a nonaqueouselectrolyte secondary battery using metal lithium or a material capableof being doped and undoped with lithium as a negative electrode istaking place, and a battery using lithium cobalt oxide (LiCcO₂) as apositive electrode material is already put in practical use. Havingcharacteristics of higher voltage and higher energy density as comparedwith conventional small secondary batteries, these batteries are highlyexpected as a driving power source for cordless devices, and a secondarybattery can be fabricated with reduced size and weight as compared withthe conventional batteries.

In order to achieve a further reduction of size, reduction of weight,and higher energy density, research and development of active materialsand others is being eagerly carried out, and lithium nickel compositeoxide LiNiO₂ is proposed as a positive electrode active material.

Here, in an electrode for a nonaqueous electrolyte battery, a conductiveagent is used because of poor electric conductivity of active materialsexcept for some of these.

For example, Japanese Laid-open Patent Publication No. Sho 62-15761/1987discloses a nonaqueous electrolyte secondary battery using acetyleneblack as a conductive agent. Though having a large specific surfacearea, acetylene black is liable to assume an assembled state, so thatthe contact property between acetylene black and a positive electrodeactive material seems to be poor. For this reason, if acetylene black isused as a conductive agent, decrease in capacity is large by repeatedcharge/discharge operations.

If graphite is used, cycle characteristics are more easily obtained thanacetylene black. However, the effect as a conductive agent will not beexhibited easily unless the amount of graphite to be used is increased,so that an electrode having a high capacity cannot be obtained. Thisseems to be due to that fact that, since the specific surface area ofgraphite is small, the contact surface between the conductive agent andthe active material does not increase unless graphite is used in a largeamount. For example, Japanese Laid-open Patent Publication No. Hel1-105459/1989 discloses a nonaqueous z, electrolyte secondary batterycomprising a positive electrode mainly made of LiMn₂O₄ and graphite, anegative electrode and a nonaqueous electrolyte, wherein the amount ofgraphite in the total amount of LiMn₂O₄ and graphite is 8 to 22% byweight. This means that, in order to use graphite as a conductive agent,the effect will not be exhibited unless graphite is added in a largeamount.

Further, Japanese Laid-open Patent Publication No. Hei 4-215252/1992discloses use of a scaly graphite as a conductive agent for a positiveelectrode in a nonaqueous electrolyte secondary battery.

Generally, the larger the amount of the conductive agent is, the moreeasily the performance of the active material can be drawn out. However,if a large amount of conductive agent is put into an electrode, the massof active material per unit volume decreases, thereby leading todecrease in the capacity as a battery.

Further, the capacity of nonaqueous electrolyte secondary batteriesdecreases with repeated use. One of the factors for this deteriorationof the secondary batteries seems to be due to the fact that electricitycannot be taken out to the outside because contact property between theactive material and the conductive agent in the electrode becomes poor.

Therefore, it is desired to maintain a good contact property between theactive material and the conductive agent in the electrode while reducingthe amount of the conductive agent.

DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION Objects of the Invention

Thus, in view of the aforesaid problems of the prior art, an object ofthe present invention is to provide an electrode for a nonaqueouselectrolyte battery with improved charge/discharge characteristics suchas discharge capacity and charge/discharge cycle life and the like.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present inventors have made eager studies and found out that, withthe use of crushed expanded graphite as a conductive agent, theperformance of the active material can be drawn out with a smalleramount of the conductive agent, thereby completing the presentinvention.

Namely, the present invention is an electrode for a nonaqueouselectrolyte battery, having an electrode active material layer includingat least a positive electrode active material, a conductive agent and abinder, wherein at least a part of said conductive agent is a crushedexpanded graphite.

In the present invention, the crushed expanded graphite preferably has amedian particle diameter of 0.1 to 40 am.

In the present invention, the quantity of the conductive agent to beused in the electrode active material layer is preferably 0.1 to 15% byweight.

In the present invention, the positive electrode active material is, forexample, a lithium composite oxide selected from the group consisting ofLiCoO₂, LiNiO₂, LiMn₂O₄ and Li_(x)Ni_(y)M_(z)O₂ (where x satisfies0.8<x<1.5, y+z satisfies 0.8<y+z<1.2, and z satisfies 0≦z<0.35; and Mrepresents at least one kind of an element selected from Co, Mg, Ca, Sr,Al, Mn and Fe).

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

FIG. 1 is a schematic view of a cell for measuring the charge/dischargecapacity, which was used in the Examples.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

An electrode for a nonaqueous electrolyte battery of the presentinvention has an electrode active material layer including at least apositive electrode active material, a conductive agent and a binder.

In the present invention, crushed expanded graphite is used as theconductive agent. For this reason, the present invention has anadvantage in that the effect is exhibited with a small amount of theconductive agent.

An example of a method for producing expanded graphite is a method shownin “Graphite Intercalation Compound” (ed. Nobuatsu Watanabe, KindaiHenshuu Sha), or the like. The aforesaid book mentions that the expandedgraphite is produced through a process of treating powder of naturalscaly graphite, thermally decomposed graphite, Kisch graphite, or thelike with an inorganic acid such as concentrated sulfuric acid, nitricacid or selenic acid, and a strong oxidizing agent such as concentratednitric acid, perchloric acid, perchlorate, permanganate, dichromate orhydrogen peroxide to produce a graphite intercalation compound, followedby washing with water, drying, a rapid heating treatment above severalhundred OC, and other steps. Thus, the expanded graphite powder isexpanded considerably by the rapid heating treatment, thereby to show ahoneycomb structure.

It is shown that the crushing of the expanded graphite can be carriedout by a method such as mentioned below. For example, Japanese Laid-openPatent Publication No. Sho 61-127612/1986 proposes a method of crushingin a state in which the voids in the expanded graphite are filled withliquid, or in a state in which the liquid is frozen. Japanese Laid-openPatent Publication No. Hei 2-153810/1990 proposes a method of crushingexpanded graphite by dispersing the expanded graphite into liquid andallowing a supersonic wave to act on the inside of the liquid. JapaneseLaid-open Patent Publication No. Hei 6-254422/1994 proposes a method ofcrushing expanded graphite by dispersing the expanded graphite intoliquid and allowing spherical or rod-like medium to act on the inside ofthe liquid. Japanese Laid-open Patent Publication No. Hei 8-217434/1996proposes a method of crushing expanded graphite by immersing theexpanded graphite into liquid, then coarsely crushing the expandedgraphite to obtain a graphite slurry, and crushing the slurry by meansof a grinder having a rotary disk-like grindstone.

Further, Japanese Laid-open Patent Publication No Hei 9-35719/1997 givesa description on the use of expanded graphite, which has been subjectedto wet grinding treatment, for an alkali manganese battery. In theLaid-open Publication, the expanded graphite is allowed to serve both asa conductive agent and as a binder. Also, the effect of the expandedgraphite as a binder is shown.

In the present invention, the crushed expanded graphite is allowed toserve as a conductive agent, and a different binder is used. In primarybatteries, only discharging is carried out; however, in secondarybatteries, charging and discharging must be carried out. It has beenfound out that, in such a battery subjected to a repeated charging anddischarging process, the relationship of the particle diameters betweenthe active material and the conductive agent affects the cycle life.

Japanese Laid-open Patent Publication No. Sho 63301460/1988 disclosesthat, with regard to conductive agents, the larger effect is producedaccording as the particle diameter is smaller. Those having a smallparticle diameter have a large specific surface area and can produce alarger capacity, but has a poor cycle life. This seems to be because thecontact between the conductive agents is deteriorated by a repeatedcharging and discharging process.

In the present invention, the crushed expanded graphite preferably has amedian particle diameter of 0.1 to 40 μm, more preferably 0.1 to 20 μm.Here, the median particle diameter is measured with the use of a laserparticle size analyzer such as Microtrack manufactured by Nikkiso Co.Ltd., and refers to the accumulated percent diameter at 50%.

The blending amount of the conductive agent is preferably 0.1 to 15% byweight, more preferably 1 to 10% by weight, in a dried coating layer,though it depends on the powder physical properties of the activematerial. If the amount is less than 0.1% by weight, the conductivitywill be insufficient and liable to cause decrease of capacity. On theother hand, if it exceeds 15% by weight, the mass of the active materialthat is substantially acting will decrease, so that the capacity isliable to decrease as well.

The positive electrode active material for use in the present inventionis not particularly limited. Specifically, however, lithium compositeoxide such as LiCoO₂, LiNiO₂, LiMn₂O₄ and Li_(x)Ni_(y)M_(z)O₂ (where xsatisfies 0.8<x<1.5, y+z satisfies 0.8<y+z<1.2, and z satisfies0≦z<0.35; and M represents at least one kind of an element selected fromCo, Mg, Ca, Sr, Al, Mn and Fe), may be mentioned. The pH of the activematerial is preferably not smaller than 9. Among these, LiNiO₂ andLi_(x)N_(y)M_(z)O₂ have a powder pH of strongly alkaline, and can getalong well with the strong acidity of expanded graphite.

The median particle diameter of these lithium composite oxides ispreferably 1.0 to 30.0 μm, more preferably 2.0 to 20.0 μm. Thehalf-value width at the median particle diameter of the particle sizedistribution is preferably 2.0 to 10.0 Wm. Also, the ratio of the medianparticle diameter of the conductive agent to the median particlediameter of the active material is preferably {fraction (1/10)} to 3.

The binder to be used in the present invention is one or a mixture oftwo or more of thermoplastic resins or polymers having a rubberelasticity. Examples of the binders to be used include fluorine-typepolymers, polyvinyl alcohol, carboxymethyl cellulose, hydroxypropylcellulose, regenerated cellulose, diacetyl cellulose, polyvinylchloride, polyvinyl pyrrolidone, polyethylene, polypropylene, EPDM,sulfonated EPDM, SBR, polybutadiene, polyethylene oxide, and the like.

Among these, the fluorine-containing polymer preferably has an atomicratio of fluorine atoms/carbon atoms in the range of 0.75 to 1.5, morepreferably in the range of 0.75 to 1.3. If this value is larger than1.5, it tends to be difficult to obtain a sufficient capacity of thebattery. On the other hand, if it is smaller than 0.75, the binder islikely to be dissolved in the electrolytic solution.

Examples of such fluorine-containing polymers includepolytetrafluoro-ethylene, polyvinylidene fluoride, vinylidenefluoride-ethylene trifluoride copolymers, ethylenetetrafluoroethylenecopolymers, propylenetetrafluoroethylene copolymers, and the like. Afluorine-containing polymer with its hydrogen in the main chainsubstituted by an alkyl group(s) may be used as well.

Among these, those showing a selective solubility (having a lowsolubility in the electrolytic solution and being soluble in somesolvents). For example, vinylidene fluoride-type polymers are onlyslightly soluble in a carbonate-type solvent that is used as theelectrolytic solution or the like, but are soluble in a solvent such asN,N-dimethylformamide or N-methylpyrrolidone.

The amount of the binder to be blended is preferably 2 to 20% by weight,more preferably 3 to 15% by weight in a dried coating layer, although itdepends on the specific surface areas and the particle sizedistributions of the active material and the conductive agent, thestrength of the intended electrode, and the like.

Further, the solvent for the electrode active material mixture-coatingmaterial is not particularly limited, and general organic solvents canbe used. Examples of the organic solvents include saturated hydrocarbonssuch as hexane, aromatic hydrocarbons such as toluene and xylene,alcohols such as methanol, ethanol, propanol and butanol, ketones suchas acetone, methyl ethyl ketone, methyl isobutyl ketone, disobutylketone and cyclohexanone, esters such as ethyl acetate and butylacetate, ethers such as tetrahydrofuran, dioxane and diethyl ether,amides such as N,N-dimethylformamide, N-methylpyrrolidone andN,N-dimethylacetamide, halogenated hydrocarbons such as ethylenechloride and chlorobenzene, and the like. Among these, amide-typesolvents are preferable because they can dissolve thefluorine-containing polymers. These solvents may be used either alone oras a mixture of two or more thereof.

The electrode active material mixture-coating material can be fabricatedby mixing an active material, a conductive agent, a binder, a solvent,and others by means of a hypermixer or the like. Further, the coatingmaterial may be subjected to a supersonic treatment for dispersion. Inorder that the active material and the conductive agent are uniformlymixed, the active material and the conductive agent may be subjected toa drying treatment in advance with the use of an angmill or the like.Further, the active material and the conductive agent may be mixed witha binder solution and kneaded with the use of a pressure-kneader or thelike to prepare a coating material.

The collector for the electrode may be any electron conducting substancethat does not undergo a chemical change in a constructed battery. Forexample, aluminum foil, stainless steel foil, nickel foil, and othershaving a thickness of 5 to 40 μm can be used.

The electrode active material mixture-coating material is applied ontothe collector by a generally well-known application method such as thereverse roll method, direct roll method, blade method, knife method,extrusion method, curtain method, gravure roll method, bar coat method,dipping method, kiss coat method, squeeze method, and the like. Amongthese, the extrusion method is preferable, whereby a good surface stateof a coating layer can be obtained by selecting the solvent compositionof the coating material and the drying condition so that the coatingmaterial may be applied onto the collector at a speed of 5 to 100 m/min.

Here, the thickness, length, and width of the coating layer isdetermined by the final size of the battery to be obtained. Thethickness of the coating layer is preferably adjusted by theordinarily-adopted calendering-processing after the coating step. Theprocessing pressure is preferably 0.2 to 10 t/cm, and the processingtemperature is preferably 10 to 150° C.

MODES FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

Hereafter, the present invention will be more specifically describedwith reference to examples. However, the present invention is notlimited by these examples.

EXAMPLE 1

An active material layer was fabricated as follows.

Into 45 parts by weight of NMP were dissolved 4 parts by weight of PVDFto prepare a binder solution. By means of a hypermixer, 90 parts byweight of the active material, 6 parts by weight of the conductiveagent, and the aforesaid binder solution were mixed to obtain an activematerial mixture-coating material. The blending prescription is shown inTable 1.

TABLE 1 Parts by Material weight Active material: LiCoO₂ 90 (medianparticle diameter of 7.5 μm) C-010 manufactured by Seimi Chemical Co.,Ltd. Conductive agent: specially treated graphite 6 (median particlediameter of 10 μm) crushed expanded graphite manufactured by ChuetsuGraphite Works Co.. Ltd. Binder: polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) 4Solvent: N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone (NMP) 45

The obtained coating material was applied onto one surface of acollector made of aluminum foil by means of a blade coater, and dried.Then, the same coating material was applied onto the rear surface anddried, followed by compression-molding with a roller press, and cuttinginto a predetermined size to obtain an electrode of Example 1.

EXAMPLE 2

An electrode of Example 2 was obtained by the same operations as inExample 1 except that specially treated graphite (crushed expandedgraphite manufactured by Chuetsu Graphite Works Co., Ltd.) having amedian particle diameter of 5 μm was used instead of the speciallytreated graphite (manufactured by Chuetsu Graphite Works Co., Ltd.)having a median particle diameter of 10 μm, as a conductive agent.

EXAMPLE 3

An electrode of Example 3 was obtained by the same operations as inExample 1 except that specially treated graphite (crushed expandedgraphite manufactured by Chuetsu Graphite Works Co., Ltd.) having amedian particle diameter of 20 μm was used instead of the speciallytreated graphite (manufactured by Chuetsu Graphite Works Co., Ltd.)having a median particle diameter of 10 μm, as a conductive agent.

COMPARATIVE EXAMPLE 1

An electrode of Comparative Example 1 was obtained by the sameoperations as in Example 1 except that artificial scaly graphite KS25(manufactured by LONZA Co. Ltd.) having a median particle diameter of 11mun was used instead of the specially treated graphite (manufactured byChuetsu Graphite Works Co., Ltd.) having a median particle diameter of10 μm, as a conductive agent.

Evaluation Method (Electrode Characteristics)

Each of the samples of Examples 1 to 3 and Comparative Example 1 was cutinto a rectangular shape of 25 mm×20 mm. Then, an upper portion of theelectrode layer was removed by a width of 5 mm to leave an electrodelayer of 20 mm square. A stainless steel wire was spot-welded as a leadwire onto the upper portion of the electrode where the electrode layerwas removed, thus preparing this electrode (working electrode).

A cell for measuring the charge/discharge capacities was prepared asshown in FIG. 1, and the charge/discharge operations were carried out inthe following manner.

Namely, with reference to FIG. 1, in a beaker (1) were disposed a pairof counter electrodes (4) made of a lithium plate and connected to astainless steel wire, a Capillary tube (6) having a similar referenceelectrode (5), and the electrode (working electrode) (3) as preparedabove. The working electrode (3) was disposed in the middle of the twocounter electrodes (4). An electrolytic solution (7) was prepared bydissolving 1 mol/L of lithium perchlorate as an electrolyte salt in amixture solvent containing ethylene carbonate and diethyl carbonate at1:1 (volume ratio). The beaker (1) and the Capillary tube (6) weresealed with silicon plugs (2) and (8), respectively, to prepare the cellfor measurement.

The charge and discharge operations were carried out on this cell forfive times with a constant current of 6 mA within the range from 3.0 Vto 4.2 V (potential vs. Li/Li⁺). The capacity at the first time ofundoping and doping with Li ions was measured as the initial capacity.Also, the capacity at the fifth time was measured to determine thecharge/discharge cycle characteristics. The above results are shown inTable

TABLE 2 Charging Discharging Discharging capacity capacity capacity atthe (mAh/g) (mAh/g) fifth time (mAh/g) Example 1 141 135 130 Example 2144 137 133 Example 3 137 130 125 Comparative 118 110 100 Example 1

From Table 2, those of Examples 1 to 3 using crushed expanded graphiteas a conductive agent showed improvements in the initial capacity andthe cycle characteristics as compared with that of Comparative Example 1using an ordinary artificial scaly graphite.

The present invention can be carried out in various other modes withoutdeparting from the spirit or essential characteristics thereof.Therefore, the aforesaid Examples are in all respects merelyillustrative and must not be construed as being limitative. Further, thechanges that belong to the equivalents of the claims are all comprisedwithin the scope of the present invention.

INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY

According to the present Invention, since crushed expanded graphite isused as a conductive agent, an electrode for a nonaqueous electrolytebattery with improved charge/discharge characteristics such as dischargecapacity and charge/discharge cycle life and the like can be obtained.

What is claimed is:
 1. An electrode for a nonaqueous electrolytebattery, having an electrode active material layer including at least apositive electrode active material, a conductive agent and a binder,wherein at least a part of said conductive agent is a crushed expandedgraphite having a median particle diameter of 0.1 to 40 μm, the positiveelectrode active material is a lithium composite oxide having a medianparticle diameter of 1.0 to 30.0 μm, a ratio of the median particlediameter of the conductive agent to the median particle diameter of thepositive electrode active material is {fraction (1/10)} to 3, and thehalf-value width at the median particle diameter of the particle sizedistribution of the lithium composite oxide is 2.0 to 10.0 μm.
 2. Theelectrode for a nonaqueous electrolyte battery according to claim 1,wherein the quantity of the conductive agent in the electrode activematerial layer is 0.1 to 15% by weight.
 3. The electrode for anonaqueous electrolyte battery according to claim 1, wherein thepositive electrode active material is a lithium composite oxide selectedfrom the group consisting of LiCoO₂, LiNiO₂, LiMn₂O₄ andLi_(x)Ni_(y)M_(z)O₂ (where x satisfies 0.8<x 1.5, y+z satisfies0.8<y+z<1.2, and z satisfies 0≦z<0.35; and M represents at least onekind of an element selected from Co, Mg, Ca, Sr, Al, Mn and Fe).
 4. Anelectrode for a nonaqueous electrolyte secondary battery, having anelectrode active material layer including at least a positive electrodeactive material, a conductive agent and a binder, wherein at least apart of said conductive agent is a crushed expanded graphite having amedian particle diameter of 0.1 to 40 μm, the positive electrode activematerial is a lithium composite oxide having a median particle diameterof the lithium composite oxide is 1.0 to 30.0 μm and a ratio of themedian particle diameter of the conductive agent to the median particlediameter of the positive electrode active material is {fraction (1/10)}to 3, and the half-value width at the median particle diameter of theparticle size distribution of the lithium composite oxide is 2.0 to 10.0μm.
 5. The electrode for nonaqueous electrolyte secondary batteryaccording to claim 4, wherein the quantity of the conductive agent inthe electrode active material layer is 0.1 to 15% by weight.
 6. Theelectrode for a nonaqueous electrolyte secondary battery according toclaim 4, wherein the positive electrode active material is a lithiumcomposite oxide selected from the group consisting of LiCoO₂, LiNiO₂,LiMn₂O₄ and Li_(x)Ni_(y)M_(z)O₂ (where x satisfies 0.8<x<1.5, y+zsatisfies 0.8<y+z<1.2, and z satisfies o≦Z<0.35; and M represents atleast one kind of an element selected from Co, Mg, Ca, Sr, Al, Mn andFe).
 7. The electrode for a nonaqueous electrolyte battery according toclaim 1, wherein a quantity of said binder is 2 to 20% by weight in adried coating layer.
 8. The electrode for a nonaqueous electrolytebattery according to claim 4, wherein a quantity of said binder is 2 to20% by weight in a dried coating layer.
 9. An electrode for a nonaqueouselectrolyte battery, having an electrode active material layer includingat least a positive electrode active material, a conductive agent and abinder, wherein at least a part of said conductive agent is a crushedexpanded graphite having a median particle diameter of 0.1 to 40 μm, thepositive electrode active material is a lithium composite oxide ofLi_(x)Ni_(y)M_(z)O₂ (where x satisfies 0.8<x<1.5, y+z satisfies0.8<y+z<1.2, and z satisfies 0≦z<0.35; and M represents at least onekind of an element selected from Co, Mg, Ca, Sr, Al, Mn and Fe), a ratioof the median particle diameter of the conductive agent to the medianparticle diameter of the positive electrode active material is {fraction(1/10)} to 3, and the half-value width at the median particle diameterof the particle size distribution of the lithium composite oxide is 2.0to 10.0 μm.
 10. The electrode for a nonaqueous electrolyte batteryaccording to claim 9, wherein the quantity of the conductive agent inthe electrode active material layer is 0.1 to 15% by weight.
 11. Theelectrode for a nonaqueous electrolyte battery according to claim 9,wherein a quantity of said binder is 2 to 20% by weight in a driedcoating layer.
 12. The electrode for a nonaqueous electrolyte batteryaccording to claim 9, wherein a median particle diameter of the lithiumcomposite oxide is 1.0 to 30.0 μm.
 13. An electrode for a nonaqueouselectrolyte secondary battery, having an electrode active material layerincluding at least a positive electrode active material, a conductiveagent and a binder, wherein at least a part of said conductive agent isa crushed expanded graphite having a median particle diameter of 0.1 to40 μm, the positive electrode active material is a lithium compositeoxide of Li_(x)Ni_(y)M_(z)O₂ (where x satisfies 0.8<x<1.5, y+z satisfies0.8<y+z<1.2, and z satisfies 0≦z<0.35; and M represents at least onekind of an element selected from Co, Mg, Ca, Sr, Al, Mn and Fe), a ratioof the median particle diameter of the conductive agent to the medianparticle diameter of the positive electrode active material is {fraction(1/10)} to 3, and the half-value width at the median particle diameterof the particle size distribution of the lithium composite oxide is 2.0to 10.0 μm.
 14. The electrode for a nonaqueous electrolyte batteryaccording to claim 13, wherein the quantity of the conductive agent inthe electrode active material layer is 0.1 to 15% by weight.
 15. Theelectrode for a nonaqueous electrolyte battery according to claim 13,wherein a quantity of said binder is 2 to 20% by weight in a driedcoating layer.
 16. The electrode for a nonaqueous electrolyte batteryaccording to claim 13, wherein a median particle diameter of the lithiumcomposite oxide is 1.0 to 30.0 μm.